The works are expected to extend the bridge’s life for another 20 years
Government press release:
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment advises that repainting of the steel structure of Watford Bridge will commence on Monday, 8 September 2025, weather permitting.
This project follows a survey carried out in 2024 by engineers, which recommended cleaning and repainting the steel beams to preserve the bridge’s structural integrity.
This project is expected to extend the bridge’s life for another 20 years.
The project will be carried out from the water using a barge and lifting equipment and is expected to take approximately six to seven weeks to complete.
Both lanes of the bridge will remain fully open to vehicular traffic for the duration of the works. However, motorists may experience occasional short delays during specific operations.
Marine traffic is advised to proceed with caution when passing beneath the bridge. Temporary restrictions or short delays may be necessary while work is being conducted directly above active navigation channels.
The Ministry thanks the public for patience and cooperation as this essential maintenance is undertaken to ensure the continued safety and service life of Watford Bridge.
The euro rose 0.37% against the dollar to $1.1664 while sterling rose 0.24% to $1.3486
International News via Reuters:
The dollar weakened against major currencies on Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s unprecedented move to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook renewed concerns over the central bank’s independence.
The euro rose 0.37% against the dollar to $1.1664 while sterling rose 0.24% to $1.3486. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar fell 0.13% to 147.57 yen, and it slipped 0.24% against the Swiss franc at $0.80400.
The dollar index =USD, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell 0.33% to 98.15.
Trump said he was removing Cook over alleged improprieties in obtaining mortgage loans, a step that could test the boundaries of presidential power over the Fed. In response, Cook said Trump has no authority to fire her from the central bank, and she will not resign.
Trump’s announcement surprised markets but the reaction was relatively muted with investors caught between the concerns over politicization of policy and the payoffs for markets.
“The noise surrounding Trump’s attempt to dismiss Governor Cook has left markets largely unmoved,” said Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Corpay in Toronto.
The market was little changed after better-than-expected durable goods and consumer confidence data.
The U.S. president has repeatedly berated Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates, though he has stopped threatening to fire him ahead of the end of his term in a little under 9 months.
Traders are currently pricing in an 86% probability of a rate cut at the Fed’s September meeting.
Morgan Stanley on Tuesday became the latest brokerage to forecast a cut in interest rates in September, joining global peers after Powell hinted at policy-easing next month in a speech last week.
“The unpredictable actions of the administration eroding confidence in the U.S., along with the prospect of a stacked, more dovish Fed in the future, has kept the dollar in check this morning,” said Uto Shinohara, senior investment strategist at Mesirow Currency Management.
While investors may be inclined to sell the dollar, lingering economic and fiscal worries in Europe also narrow the available currencies to bet on a decline in the U.S. currency, said Kenneth Broux, head of corporate FX and rates research at Societe Generale.
France’s government bonds fell on Tuesday as the country’s minority government looked increasingly likely to be ousted next month.
The 10-year government bond yield rose to a peak of 3.53%, its highest since March and adding to Monday’s 7 basis point climb. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
Worries over renewed political instability in France added to jitters in global bond markets about the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve, which contributed to selling in government bonds from the U.S., Britain and Japan. [US/GB/JP/]
“The broader question for the euro is whether recent French news destabilises appetite for the euro more broadly, or whether this is an isolated French issue,” analysts at ING said in a note.
In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin rose 0.57% to $110,286.43, attempting to break a three-day losing streak, while ether climbed 3.34% to $4,504.07.
Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra and Laura MatthewsEditing by Kirsten Donovan, Chizu Nomiyama and Ros Russell
Apple has trailed rivals such as Google and Samsung in terms of roll-out of AI features in its devices
International News via Reuters:
Apple has held talks internally about acquiring French AI startup Mistral as well as Perplexity, the Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apple has trailed rivals such as Google and Samsung in terms of roll-out of AI features in its devices.
CEO Tim Cook signaled last month that Apple was open to larger AI-related acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap, a shift from its historically conservative M&A posture.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Apple, Mistral and Perplexity did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Nvidia-backed Mistral was valued at more than $6 billion after its Series B funding round last year and the Financial Times reported this month that the French company was in talks to raise $1 billion at a valuation of $10 billion.
Executives at the iPhone maker have held internal talks about potentially bidding for Nvidia and Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported earlier this year.
Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo
Earlier this month the BoE revised up its near-term inflation forecast to 4% for September
International News via Reuters:
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Catherine Mann said on Tuesday that she saw a strong case to keep Bank Rate on hold for a prolonged period but stood ready to cut rates forcefully if downside risks to growth materialise.
Mann voted against this month’s quarter-point rate cut to 4% – as she has against most of the BoE’s rate cuts over the past year – and said she believed that upside risks to inflation identified by the BoE in May were now beginning to crystallise.
“A more persistent hold on Bank Rate is appropriate right now, to maintain the tight – but not tighter – monetary policy stance needed to lean against inflation persistence persisting,” Mann said in remarks released by the BoE.
“However, I stand ready for a forceful policy action, in the form of larger, more rapid Bank Rate cuts, should the downside risks to domestic demand start materialising,” she added in the speech to be given later on Tuesday at a conference to mark the Bank of Mexico’s 100th anniversary.
Earlier this month the BoE revised up its near-term inflation forecast to 4% for September and forecast that inflation would not be back at its 2% target until the second quarter of 2027.
In March, Mann talked about U.S. research showing that households became more focused on inflation once it reached 4%, but she said on Tuesday that subsequent BoE research showed this threshold was lower in Britain at 3.0-3.6%.
Mann also highlighted how wage growth in Britain was running faster than could easily be explained by the central bank’s models of supply and demand in the labour market and that forecast pay growth of 3.5-4.0% for the end of this year was too high to bring inflation back to 2%.
Higher interest rates would bring inflation back to target sooner, but Mann said tightening monetary policy was not the right choice due to the weak growth outlook and her desire to avoid raising rates only to then have to cut them soon after.
“The trade-off between persistent inflation persistence and quite weak GDP growth remains,” she said.
Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Sarah Young and Kate Holton
Eight of Bermuda’s top amateur golfers have begun their campaign at the 2025 World Amateur Handicap Championship in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with several players making a strong start on the opening day.
Ann Symonds leads the Bermudian charge, currently in first place in her division after a superb Net Round of 76. Also in the Senior Women’s category, Ann Mitchell is tied for second with a Net Round of 76, just one stroke off the lead.
In the Women’s Gross Division, Tracy Burgess sits in third place after an opening round of 84, putting her just one shot back from the leader.
The men’s divisions also saw some notable performances. Richard Marriott is tied for second place in the Senior Men’s (50-59) Division after a First Net Round of 74. In the Super Senior Men’s (70-79) Division, Frank Morgan finished the day in fourth place with a Net score of 77, while Gary Venning is in ninth place.
Ryanair has in recent years launched a series of legal actions against third-party booking platforms that resell its tickets without agreement
International News via Reuters:
Ryanair has struck a deal with Booking Holdings to let its Booking.com and KAYAK websites resell the airline’s tickets, the companies said on Tuesday, apparently drawing a line under their years-long legal dispute over the issue.
Ryanair has in recent years launched a series of legal actions against third-party booking platforms that resell its tickets without agreement, including Booking. It has accused them of adding additional charges and making it difficult for the airline to contact passengers.
Since the start of last year, it has signed agreements with a number of platforms, including Kiwi.com and Expedia to allow the resale of tickets.
A joint statement by Ryanair and Booking said the deal would provide “full price transparency” and allow customers to receive essential flight updates directly.
The statement did not say whether a final resolution had been secured in a U.S. legal case between the two over the legality of the scraping of Ryanair’s site by Booking websites. The case was brought initially by Ryanair in 2020, but has been subject to a series of appeals.
The agreement also relates to Booking’s Priceline and Agoda websites, the statement added.
Writing by Conor Humphries;Editing by Helen Popper
Bermuda’s women’s squash team faced another tough test at the XXVI Pan American Squash Championship in Brazil, as they went down 2-0 to the Cayman Islands in their second team match.
Abigail Brewer was first on the court for Bermuda, putting in a spirited performance against the Cayman Islands’ Jade Pitcairn. Brewer started brightly, winning the first game 11-7. However, Pitcairn regrouped and showed her resilience, taking the next three games to win the match in four sets.
Next up was Charlotte Toogood, who faced Kali Maclean. In a hard-fought battle, Maclean proved to be too strong, winning in straight sets with a final score of 11-6, 11-4, 13-11.
With the Cayman Islands securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie, the third match was not played. The team will be looking to learn from these experiences as they continue their campaign in the championship.
History is set to be made in Bermudian football this Sunday, August 31st, as the Bermuda Football Association has confirmed that the prestigious Charity Cup will be the first match to be played under the newly erected floodlights at Bernard’s Park.
The highly anticipated season opener, which traditionally pits the previous season’s league champions against the FA Cup winners, will kick off at 8:00 p.m. This year’s Charity Cup will see Premier Division champions North Village Rams take on Friend Ship Trophy champions Dandy Town Hornets.
Before the main event, fans will be treated to a special Women’s All-Star match at 6:00 p.m., a dual-header that promises to be a spectacular start to the new campaign. This momentous occasion at the newly lit Bernard’s Park is sure to draw a large crowd eager to see the new facilities and the start of competitive action.
Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, 25 August 2025: The second day of racing at ILCA U21 World Championships held at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, co-host with the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire. Photograph: David Branigan/Oceansport
Bermuda’s Sebastian Kempe faced a tough day on the water as the 2025 ILCA Under 21 World Championships continued in Dublin Bay. The sailors were met with heavy swells and difficult conditions, which saw Kempe slip from his overnight second place to fifth overall after two more races.
Following his strong start on day one, the young Bermudian sailor, fresh from a silver medal at the Junior Pan American Games, was unable to find the same consistent form. Kempe finished fourth in both of the day’s races, leaving him with a total of 9 net points.
While he remains firmly in contention, Kempe will be looking to regain his podium position as the competition heats up. The ILCA 7 Class is proving to be a true test of skill and endurance, and with more racing to come, Kempe will be hoping to climb back up the leaderboard in the coming days.
Apple had promoted the device online as “our first CO2-neutral product”
International News via Reuters:
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a “CO2-neutral product” in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that sided with environmentalists in finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
Apple had promoted the device online as “our first CO2-neutral product”, a claim found by a panel of judges to be unfounded and in violation of German competition law, according to a statement from a regional court in Frankfurt.
Apple declined to comment on the ruling, which can be appealed.
Apple based its claim of carbon neutrality on a project it operates in Paraguay to offset emissions by planting eucalyptus trees on leased land.
However, the Frankfurt court said that leases for 75% of the project area were not secured beyond 2029 and that the company could not guarantee these contracts would be extended.
“There is no secure future for the continuation of the forest project,” the statement said.
Environmentalist group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), which brought the case against Apple, hailed the ruling as a success against “greenwashing”.
“The supposed storage of CO2 in commercial eucalyptus plantations is limited to just a few years, the contractual guarantees for the future are not sufficient and the ecological integrity of monoculture areas is not guaranteed,” DUH head Juergen Resch said in a statement.
Reporting by Rachel More, Editing by Friederike Heine
The arch-rivals have been ravaged by intense rain and flooding in recent weeks
International News via Reuters:
Pakistan evacuated at least 150,000 people in areas along three rivers in its agricultural heartland under threat of flooding after neighbouring India warned it plans to release excess water from a dam, officials said on Tuesday.
The arch-rivals have been ravaged by intense rain and flooding in recent weeks. The release of excess water threatens to further inundate part of Pakistan’s Punjab province, which serves as the country’s breadbasket and accounts for a large part of its food supply.
The nuclear-armed nations have been in a tense stand-off since a brief conflict in May, their worst fighting in decades, and any flooding blamed on New Delhi could inflame ties.
Pakistani officials said they received a surprise warning from India on Monday that it intends to release water from the rapidly filling Madhopur Dam, on its side of Punjab province.
India routinely releases water from its dams when they get too full, with the excess flowing into Pakistan.
An Indian government source said they had not mentioned a specific dam but the intense rain led them to share a second warning with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. Asked if more warnings could be issued as rain continues, he said it was possible.
New Delhi had said on Sunday that it warned Pakistan that large volumes of water would flow into its waterways due to the heavy rainfall.
Three rivers – Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab – flow into Pakistan from Indian territory. Those rivers are seeing medium to high flooding, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
Mazhar Hussain, a Pakistani disaster management official, said India will release a controlled amount of water from dams in the coming days. Hundreds of villages situated on the embankment of the three rivers have been evacuated, he said.
AGRICULTURAL HEARTLAND
Pakistan’s northwest has been hammered by intense floods, accounting for half of the 799 people killed this monsoon season.
The northern region of Gilgit Baltistan has suffered accelerated glacial melting, while the southern city of Karachi was partly submerged last week.
Now the worst of the flooding is threatening the eastern province of Punjab, home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people.
The province produces the majority of Pakistan’s staple crops and the areas along the three rivers boast large tracts of fertile agricultural lands.
The warning from India on Sunday came after New Delhi put in abeyance a decades-old treaty with Islamabad on sharing water from the Indus river network. India suspended the treaty after blaming Pakistan for a deadly attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir, which sparked the hostilities in May.
Islamabad denied any involvement.
An Indian official said on Sunday that the warning was shared with Pakistan’s foreign ministry on “humanitarian grounds”, and not under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, following heavy rains in the northern Jammu and Kashmir.
Floods in the region have killed at least 60 people this month.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the warning was issued through diplomatic channels “rather than through the Indus Waters Commission as required under the Indus Waters Treaty”.
Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Additional reporting by Krishna N Das in New Delhi; Editing by Saad Sayeed
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